Nicest way to ask for a grade bump

[KingHopkins]

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out of a 200 pt final i missed the A- cut off by 3 pts.

It was final redemption went from a D to C and this borderline. What do you guys think

 

[killinsound]

honestly. suck it up.

p.s. i don't understand your second sentence.

 

[KingHopkins]

The prof knows I was struggling with the material, but has helped me and I truly believe I have gained alot from the class. The professor is nut about the subject. Should I just talk to him about how I've improved and that my grade should be reconsidered?

 

[doinmybest5840]

I was off by 1 of 360 points in physical chemistry. That one point made the difference between a B+ and an A-. I asked kindly for a bump and did not get it. Moral of the story: suck it up.

 

[154465]

It's always worth a shot, just go in there and tell them your story. This happened to me once, I was 1 or 2 points away from an A- in a class so I went and talked to the prof. He told me to find an exam question or a graded assignment that I believed was unfair and he would see if my claims were legitimate. I found a vague question on an exam and he gave me the point.

 

[167649]

The prof knows I was struggling with the material, but has helped me and I truly believe I have gained alot from the class. The professor is nut about the subject. Should I just talk to him about how I've improved and that my grade should be reconsidered?

It's worth a shot. Try to emphasize how your improvement should be taken into consideration and how much you really have learned. It honestly depends on your teacher. Some, say the stereotypical physics teacher, is so formuleric they wouldn't bump you up if you were one point below an A. Others may be willing to change the grade if you talk and come across effectively. Just be confident in yourself and know the reasons why you feel you deserve it. You can't loose anything. But still, you need to be prepared and you may have to just accept what it already is.

 

[badasshairday]

I was off by 1 of 360 points in physical chemistry. That one point made the difference between a B+ and an A-. I asked kindly for a bump and did not get it. Moral of the story: suck it up.

Yep. agreed. My friend had somthing similar happen. When he contacted the professor via email about meeting with her to go over the final exam, she was a little annoyed and responded that she made sure the test is graded fairly blah blah but if you really want to you can come in at so and so time. He went in, she was annoyed, he saw that he missed an A- by missing one true/false and that was the end of it. She did say that she would write him a nice letter of recc though.

Suck it up.

 

[dd128]

Nothing says I'd like a better grade in your class than an envelope full of money...

 

[135892]

out of a 200 pt final i missed the A- cut off by 3 pts.

It was final redemption went from a D to C and this borderline. What do you guys think

Just go talk to the professor. Don't go talk to him/her acting as if you deserve the A (because you don't), but just ask nicely and see what he/she says. But knowing most professors, you won't get any extra points.

And does that second sentence even make sense to you?? No idea what you are saying there...

Good Luck!

 

[Daddy07]

Nothing says I'd like a better grade in your class than an envelope full of money...

I agree!! But seriously, I missed the cutoff for an A by a single question on the final (2 pts) and I went in to talk to my prof. She ended up letting me talk to her for the extra 2 pts. I've also had a class where I missed the cutoff for an A by 8 pts (again, a single question on the final) and the prof wouldn't even respond to my emails or phone calls. It was like she disappeared as soon as the finals were collected. My point is, it all depends on the prof so take a chance if it means that much to you.

 

[87138]

I was an idiot when I was younger. I missed a grade cutoff by 1 or 2 points once in a class I took during the last semester before I was transferring to another university. I earned a C- and I was very close to a C (I'll spare you the story about why I was even getting a C- in this class). In order for the credit to transfer, I needed a C or higher. So after I'm done with finals and back home, I emailed the professor basically saying "hey, I know I didn't earn a C, but I was pretty close, is there any way you could bump it to a C so it'll transfer and I'll save some money on course credits (it was a 4 credit class)?" I don't know what I hoped to accomplish, but it was basically a Hail Mary pass down the field.

About two weeks went by, and I got an email back from him. The problem was, I hadn't emailed him, I had emailed another professor at the school (who I had taken a class from earlier also) whose name was very similar to the other guy. Their names were about two letters and one syllable different. I had confused the two in my mind and sent the email to the wrong guy. The reply basically consisted of him telling me "I received your email a few days ago after a confused Dr. _____ forwarded it to me. He couldn't figure out why he was receiving an email about a class/subject he's never taught." Then he proceeded to explain that there was no reason why he should consider bumping me up since I didn't deserve it and didn't earn it, and that it was highly unprofessional of me to request this, and on top of that to not even check carefully enough to ensure I was sending it to the correct person.

I felt like I was 4 inches tall. I'm glad I've grown up since then.

 

[Drogba]

I was off by 1 of 360 points in physical chemistry. That one point made the difference between a B+ and an A-. I asked kindly for a bump and did not get it. Moral of the story: suck it up.

No that's not the moral of the story. The moral of the story is that if you feel justified you should appropriately and tactfully approach the professor and that you should do so without expectations because it is possible that your professor will not oblige.

The only time I would hesitate to do this if I felt justified would be if I was planning on asking this prof for a LOR. For any normal class you have to realize that you are there to learn and to make the best grade you can, not to make friends with the professor. Just be respectful and intelligent about how you approach it.

 

[skinnylindsay]

I agree with those who have said it's worth a shot. I've never done it before, but had to do it twice this semester. One class I had a B+ (89.54) and asked the professor to round up to the A-...he said no 🙁 In the other class though, it turns out that everyone's grades had been miscalculated and my grade went up.

It can't hurt to try as long as you're polite about it.

 

[qtpai]

For my philosophy class, I was probably one of the best students, but I never went to discussion section, and it was worth 20%; I would have had a solid A if I didn't have to worry about attendance. And during that time, I would be volunteering at the hospital. So I went to the professor today, and he called me unmanly for "pleading" with him (he's Korean). He ultimately said he would consider my grade. I am sure he will just bump me up from a C, and I'll end up taking the B.

 

[175961]

Just go talk to the professor. Don't go talk to him/her acting as if you deserve the A (because you don't), but just ask nicely and see what he/she says. But knowing most professors, you won't get any extra points.

And does that second sentence even make sense to you?? No idea what you are saying there...

Good Luck!

i totally agree with that.....i was 1/10 (i kid you not) of a point away from an A in my microbiology class. I knew my prof well, we talked on a regular basis, i guess you could say we were "buddies" and none of it was out of a sucking up manner. time for grades came up and i talked to him and he wouldnt budge, so i walked out of there with an A-....i agree with the general public....suck up!!

 

[Perrotfish]

Nothing says I'd like a better grade in your class than an envelope full of money...

There's an old Urban legend at my school that once in General Chemisty a student turned in his final with a $100 dollar bill and a note that said "a dollar a point seems fair".

The professor returned the test with $37 dollars change

 

[riceman04]

The prof knows I was struggling with the material, but has helped me and I truly believe I have gained alot from the class. The professor is nut about the subject. Should I just talk to him about how I've improved and that my grade should be reconsidered?

And this is what is wrong with premeds. Accept your grade and move on! I am not trying to be mean. I just do not understand any justification for asking a prof to increase your grade despite not earning the increase.

 

[riceman04]

It's always worth a shot, just go in there and tell them your story. This happened to me once, I was 1 or 2 points away from an A- in a class so I went and talked to the prof. He told me to find an exam question or a graded assignment that I believed was unfair and he would see if my claims were legitimate. I found a vague question on an exam and he gave me the point.

👎

 

[Maxprime]

Ask while holding a bag full of money . . . or casually jingle the keys to a new convertible.

 

[154465]

👎

Oh shut up.

 

[Phenol312]

You earned the grade...accept it.

Asking for a bumps is cheating the system. It should fall under academic dishonesty in my book. Its one thing to argue taking point off, but its another to just ask for free points.

Sayeth Durden:

"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake."

 

[SB100]

Sayeth Durden:

"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake."

Spoken like a pro 😉

 

[BrokenGlass]

For my philosophy class, I was probably one of the best students, but I never went to discussion section, and it was worth 20%; I would have had a solid A if I didn't have to worry about attendance. And during that time, I would be volunteering at the hospital. So I went to the professor today, and he called me unmanly for "pleading" with him (he's Korean). He ultimately said he would consider my grade. I am sure he will just bump me up from a C, and I'll end up taking the B.

At least he didn't call you a girly man.

 

[175961]

At least he didn't call you a girly man.

that would be governor [SIZE=-1]schwarzenegger in your exercise class because you cant crush pop cans with your pecs [/SIZE]

 

[art4vandalay]

there comes a time in every mans life when he has too look down and ask himself, "am i a p***Y." I think this is one of those moments for you. in other words, suck it up and ask. the proff wont lower your grade for asking, so ask.

 

[chebella7604]

in general it depends upon the professor. some simply will not give you the bump. but the ones who will usually do so after getting to know you a bit or having noticed you in the front row every class period. even still, i'd give it a shot. i'd go see him in person though.

 

[carwreck]

You earned the grade...accept it.

Asking for a bumps is cheating the system. It should fall under academic dishonesty in my book. Its one thing to argue taking point off, but its another to just ask for free points.

Sayeth Durden:

"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake."

Agreed.

 

[154465]

Perhaps I didnt explain enough. I wasn't the only one who got the point, everyone else did. Look through your exams, profs make mistakes.

 

[ComicBookDude]

I don't think I'd ask. The last thing I need is for a potential LOR writer to remember me as a whiner. Plus, I'm sure there's been at least one class in which the professor bumped you up a couple points. It all evens out in the end.

 

[Perrotfish]

Asking for a bumps is cheating the system. It should fall under academic dishonesty in my book. Its one thing to argue taking point off, but its another to just ask for free points.

In gerneral, the more subjective the class, the more willing I'd be to ask

1) Biology class with multiple choice tests?: No way I'd ask, the tests are completely objective and I earned the grade I earned

2) Calculus or Chemistry class where problems are assigned partial credit?: Maybe I'd ask. Only if the difference between grades was a couple of points on one test (or was trying to talk my way out of a D 🙂). Even then I'd try to find a specific problem or two to try an contest.

3) Philosophy, English, or any other useless subject based on essays and class discussions? Will try to argue my way from a C to an A. As long as you've turned everything in your grade is basically a matter of opinion, so why not try to convince the professor to agree with your opinion rather than his?

 

[somemaybedoc]

I'd just let it go. It sucks but the profs have to draw grade lines somewhere and it wouldn't be fair if he just gave you a bump. No A for effort anymore...

 

[bore da]

For my philosophy class, I was probably one of the best students, but I never went to discussion section, and it was worth 20%; I would have had a solid A if I didn't have to worry about attendance. And during that time, I would be volunteering at the hospital. So I went to the professor today, and he called me unmanly for "pleading" with him (he's Korean). He ultimately said he would consider my grade. I am sure he will just bump me up from a C, and I'll end up taking the B.

You didn't show up to a part of the class that was worth 20% of the grade and you expect the professor to bump you up? (And what does the fact that the prof's Korean have to do with calling you unmanly, anyway?) Volunteering somewhere or not, I wouldn't give you the higher grade. You skipped out on a massive part of the class, whether you did well on everything else or not. Would you skip out on all the labs for a science class that was worth 20% of the grade, and then argue for a higher grade on the virtue you did well on everything else?

As someone who's studying a bit of religion/philosophy along with science, I don't think arguing a grade in a humanities class is logical either. There is some level of objective grading there--if you have faulty logic in your paper, if you're completely ignoring sections of history, if it's totally off the mark in interpretation, if it's stylistically impossible to read, yeah, you might deserve the lower grade. I've had many variations of bad papers throughout high school and through this current day, and looking back, I totally deserved some of the grades I got. If you just turn in all the papers, doesn't mean you put in much effort.

(I'll admit, I go to a college that de-emphasizes grades and puts more weight on essays and discussion. Wasn't completely sold on it when I enrolled, but now that I've been here, I am. Learned a lot, and it's forcing me to be on my toes and proactive about my assignments.)

 

[qtpai]

You didn't show up to a part of the class that was worth 20% of the grade and you expect the professor to bump you up? (And what does the fact that the prof's Korean have to do with calling you unmanly, anyway?) Volunteering somewhere or not, I wouldn't give you the higher grade. You skipped out on a massive part of the class, whether you did well on everything else or not. Would you skip out on all the labs for a science class that was worth 20% of the grade, and then argue for a higher grade on the virtue you did well on everything else?

The purpose of a lecture class is to learn the lecture material. The purpose of a lab class is to learn basic laboratory practice. If you miss the lecture or discussion of a lecture class, this should not negatively affect your grade if you master the material. Let me emphasize that the purpose of discussion was not to master the practice of philosophy but review the material that was covered in lecture.

It is not possible to master basic laboratory practice if you do not attend the laboratory, since you do not do the practice. That is why you should not get credit for the laboratory portion of the class if you do not attend lab.

You cannot argue that attending lecture is essential to the purpose of lecture class. Mandatory attendance/discussion is only a means of paternalistically enforcing learning but not essential to learning, which is the purpose of lecture (and in my case, discussion) attendance. Thus, it was not essential for me to have attended my discussion sections in order to gain the skills that every single other person may have gained (but actually didn't) in the course of the semester.

You may argue that rules should be revered, whatever, I simply do not have this reverence. I am only at the university to learn, not be forced to go to class as in high school. It is not that the rules should not apply to me; the rules should simply not apply to anyone, and people should be judged solely by how well they meet the objectives of the course. Attendance should never be a part of this criteria, unless attendance is essential.

 

[bore da]

The purpose of a lecture class is to learn the lecture material. The purpose of a lab class is to learn basic laboratory practice. If you miss the lecture or discussion of a lecture class, this should not negatively affect your grade if you master the material. Let me emphasize that the purpose of discussion was not to master the practice of philosophy but review the material that was covered in lecture.

It is not possible to master basic laboratory practice if you do not attend the laboratory, since you do not do the practice. That is why you should not get credit for the laboratory portion of the class if you do not attend lab.

You cannot argue that attending lecture is essential to the purpose of lecture class. Mandatory attendance/discussion is only a means of paternalistically enforcing learning but not essential to learning, which is the purpose of lecture (and in my case, discussion) attendance. Thus, it was not essential for me to have attended my discussion sections in order to gain the skills that every single other person may have gained (but actually didn't) in the course of the semester.

You may argue that rules should be revered, whatever, I simply do not have this reverence. I am only at the university to learn, not be forced to go to class as in high school. It is not that the rules should not apply to me; the rules should simply not apply to anyone, and people should be judged solely by how well they meet the objectives of the course. Attendance should never be a part of this criteria, unless attendance is essential.

Both of my lab classes this semester went over material and lab techniques that I have learned before (a molecular genetics course and general chemistry, I've done intense mol gen lab work and I've taken the equivalent of AP Chem, with labs, I just never took the test). By your logic, as long as I did the written work, I would have been able to skip out of those labs. Not a great example, I'll admit, but I really didn't learn much of anything new.

I've found that most syllabi I've received clearly stipulate the requirements for getting a good grade. Most of the advice in this thread to the OP has been to deal with the grade they've been given. I don't like rules that much either, whether or not that shows. I compulsively cut class in high school and I was essentially a slacker. But that doesn't mean I argued every single time when I cut class or handed in an assignment late that I deserved the higher grade if I knew I didn't deserve that bump. You're not setting the rules, you're breaking the rules set out by the professor. He's the one that's grading you, he has every right to give you the lower grade whether or not attendance is essential. It's not a democracy, the class is a dictatorship--and that's what you're paying for, whether or not the discussion section was useful.

It's great that you want to learn, but you don't always need a university or a degree to do that (unschooling, anyone?). A grade is an arbitrary measurement set out by the instructor. You have to deal. I mean, you said you're in university because you want to learn. Regardless of the grade, you learned something!

 

[unsung]

This thread is ridiculous.

Why should the professor make an exception to his or her grading policy just for pre-meds who have no shame and choose to whine about wanting a higher grade that they didn't earn ?

I mean, it's one thing to have a specific test question that you think was graded incorrectly and to argue about that. But why would anyone e-mail the professor because they earned a 89 (and the cut-off for an A is 90%) just because they "really really want" the A?

There's really no reasoning or justification there. Yes, it sucks to be so close and yet so far from that A. But hey, this is real life folks. The silver medalist at the Olympics doesn't whine and try to argue his way into first place... why would anyone think it "okay" to do so in an academic setting is beyond me.

That said, I think it much more productive to schedule a meeting with the prof just to talk about problems, or go over a test... as in show him/her you care and are putting in a lot of effort. That could influence grading... or it might not. But it certainly beats "demanding" a higher grade, which is completely ridiculous.

 

[qtpai]

Both of my lab classes this semester went over material and lab techniques that I have learned before (a molecular genetics course and general chemistry, I've done intense mol gen lab work and I've taken the equivalent of AP Chem, with labs, I just never took the test). By your logic, as long as I did the written work, I would have been able to skip out of those labs. Not a great example, I'll admit, but I really didn't learn much of anything new.

I've found that most syllabi I've received clearly stipulate the requirements for getting a good grade. Most of the advice in this thread to the OP has been to deal with the grade they've been given. I don't like rules that much either, whether or not that shows. I compulsively cut class in high school and I was essentially a slacker. But that doesn't mean I argued every single time when I cut class or handed in an assignment late that I deserved the higher grade if I knew I didn't deserve that bump. You're not setting the rules, you're breaking the rules set out by the professor. He's the one that's grading you, he has every right to give you the lower grade whether or not attendance is essential. It's not a democracy, the class is a dictatorship--and that's what you're paying for, whether or not the discussion section was useful.

It's great that you want to learn, but you don't always need a university or a degree to do that (unschooling, anyone?). A grade is an arbitrary measurement set out by the instructor. You have to deal. I mean, you said you're in university because you want to learn. Regardless of the grade, you learned something!

Yes, you should have been able to arrange to skip lab, ideally. In practice, of course, you probably aren't going to be allowed, but you should have been allowed if you could demonstrate a mastery of the material. I think it is really quite wrong to make a student attend something that does not benefit him, sorry. I agree with grading students, but if a student has something they are doing that is more worthwhile and productive, and the student is able to demonstrate a mastery for the material, then the student should not be required to do the thing that is less productive to him, and I contend that such a requirement is unethical.

I, again, could not give a damn for rules, because as I've argued, sometimes rules are wrong. So why am I complaining then? Well, I did neglect to mention that I asked the professor about discussion attendance after I had missed several discussions, and he said, "don't worry about it." I asked about the grade for it, that it was worth 20%, and again he said, "don't worry about it." I also asked my TA, who said not to worry about it. So my situation is more complex than that. Even though I don't care for the rules, I generally do follow them if I must. The situation here was much less clear, since I was basically told that none of these things mattered, and yet they seem to matter.

 

[AnesthesiaMD]

At my school, we have the 4.0, 3.5, 3.0 etc. scale, so I was pissed when I had worked my @$$ off all semester for a 3.5 in my Biochemistry course. In fact, I initially missed an A by only two final exam questions (6 pts.). I went in to talk to the professor about it and requested to see my final exam. I read through the questions and 3 of the questions from the multiple choice section were keyed incorrectly and I had the correct answers on my answer sheet, this pushed me over the threshold for an A and the professor had to do an "official grade change." He wasn't happy about this, but I don't care, I wasn't about to take a 3.5 when I really deserved the 4.0! I would at least try to see if there were any mistakes in the grading of your final exam.

 

[Ahmed786]

I dont understand why the OP should "suck it up" you all know we are part of a system in which we are supposed to get the highest grade possible. It would not hurt him to ask to raise the grade and/or try and find a correct answer within a test. Chances are he probably will not get the points and will not get the grade higher but there is no harm in asking. It's better to ask and get rejected then to never ask.

 

[thoffen]

There was another thread similar to this where people blasted someone for wanting a grade change. I really don't understand why. There's nothing underhanded about it. Everything is entirely at the professor's discretion:
1) e-mail the prof and ask if you can meet to discuss your grade
2) tell the prof that you missed X grade by Y points, and you'd like to see if there's anything you can do to bring it up
3) the prof gives you this chance or doesn't

Is it similarly underhanded to contact a school if you are in the area to interview? I mean, after all, the manly thing would be to suck it up and wait for them to decide on your fate like everyone else. Don't be silly. There's nothing wrong with asking politely for a favor.

 

[Quix]

I hate students who ask for grade bumps. I've already entered grade-wheedling season, and it's especially ironic when it comes from students who've barely deigned to attend. I honestly just received an e-mail from a student who showed up with 15 minutes left in the final exam and who I barely recognized asking why she didn't receive more points in the class. Grade-wheedling sucks.

 

[Geekchick921]

There was another thread similar to this where people blasted someone for wanting a grade change. I really don't understand why. There's nothing underhanded about it. Everything is entirely at the professor's discretion:
1) e-mail the prof and ask if you can meet to discuss your grade
2) tell the prof that you missed X grade by Y points, and you'd like to see if there's anything you can do to bring it up
3) the prof gives you this chance or doesn't

Is it similarly underhanded to contact a school if you are in the area to interview? I mean, after all, the manly thing would be to suck it up and wait for them to decide on your fate like everyone else. Don't be silly. There's nothing wrong with asking politely for a favor.

👍 That's basically what I was going to say. It's at the professor's discretion, and the worse thing that could happen would be that they say no. I mean, I don't imagine they can actually have your reprimanded by the honor committee unless you actually offered them a bribe (or somehow tried to blackmail them), so just give it a shot.

 

[riceman04]

Oh shut up.

dont get mad at me b/c I'm calling you out on your childish bull$hit

 

[WildcatMD2]

I have never asked for a grade bump in a class, but I thought I was going to have to this term for Biochem I. I don't like people asking for a grade bump just because you were close to the next higher grade, but I feel that students have a right to scrutinize their final exams and all the graded coursework they turn in, because one mistake by a professor or TA can make the difference between those grades. Asking for charity is not fair, but if something was graded incorrectly, that's a different story. As for myself, I was going to ask for a grade bump because I had a B+ in Biochem and I had a family emergency after Thanksgiving and missed a couple of days of class. I came back and had three assignments in the next three days and I just wasn't back into it and did pretty poorly on them. At my school at least, as opposed to the curve, professors can slide the scale for the class if they feel the grade distribution is uneven, and my professor did that, changing what was a high B+ into a A-.

 

[VoiceofReason]

I dont understand why the OP should "suck it up" you all know we are part of a system in which we are supposed to get the highest grade possible. It would not hurt him to ask to raise the grade and/or try and find a correct answer within a test. Chances are he probably will not get the points and will not get the grade higher but there is no harm in asking. It's better to ask and get rejected then to never ask.

I was wondering when someone would speak up about this. Make no mistake, med school admissions is a game, and not one that you want to lose.

But an A- is something I've always been satisfied with, especially when I wasn't even within a point of the A. The only occasions on which I got flustered really were those where I was really really close (within a point) to an A- and might have only gotten a B+. I may have said something once or twice, but all I really did was make it seem like I was concerned, I didn't outright ask for a grade I didn't deserve. I don't even know if it worked because you never know what the professor is doing with his/her gradescheme in my opinion

 

[Jolie South]

Seriously people, if you didn't put in the work, how can you expect a higher grade than you earned? The professor laid down the law the first day with the syllabus. Seeing that 20% is for the discussion, I would have gone simply for the easy points if nothing else.

Who cares if you don't benefit? The professor wants you to go and that's his prerogative.

However, if you believe that something wasn't graded correctly, you do have the right to present your concerns to the professor and to either learn why your answer wasn't right or get the points back.

Life isn't fair. We all have to do things that we don't like to do. You really don't have any room to ask for sympathy considering that you didn't even attend discussions.

When I was in undergrad, people that had attended class often received the bump in grades without even asking, because professors saw that they really tried and cared about the class. Maybe you should try going next time and you could receive the same bump.

If you don't like the professor's manner of teaching, then you should say so in your class evaluations.

 

[154465]

dont get mad at me b/c I'm calling you out on your childish bull$hit

I'm annoyed because you think you have a right to call me out on anything.

Besides, It's not like I'm the only one who got the points, I pointed out an problem with a wrong answer and everyone got their points back. Asking for points back that I deserve is hardly childish.




Edit: Just so you know, if I was 1 point away and there wasn't a question that I should have gotten right, I would have talked to my prof anyway.

 

[Quix]

Let's keep things civil, folks.

 

[DemetriMartin]

right now i have a 4.0, and that is only because I'm not scared to talk to my professors about changing my grade. If I had never emailed my professors about my grade, I would probably have a 3.7 right now. Just talk to your professor, it can't hurt.

 

[Dr. Breyean]

It is worth a shot to ask. I would not just "suck it up" as others have said. I had a similar situation when I took Biochemistry. I was like two points (out of around 600 points) away from an A- so I just asked if he could bump it up. He said it was absolutely no problem. Just ask, the worst the professor can say is no.

 

[beauregard]

For my philosophy class, I was probably one of the best students, but I never went to discussion section, and it was worth 20%; I would have had a solid A if I didn't have to worry about attendance. And during that time, I would be volunteering at the hospital. So I went to the professor today, and he called me unmanly for "pleading" with him (he's Korean). He ultimately said he would consider my grade. I am sure he will just bump me up from a C, and I'll end up taking the B.

Actually, it doesn't so much sound like you were one of the best students.